CONSUL- GENERAL’S SPEECH ON WORLD IP DAY CELEBRATION 2011

IPRAA celebrated the World IP Day 2011 in a grand
manner. Consulate-General of Japan presided over the function and made it a huge
success with his informative speech. He thanked the Association for inviting
him. His valuable speech has been updated over here.

I am very much honoured and happy to be here on the “World Intellectual
Property Day anniversary” hosted by Intellectual Property Rights Attorney
Association (IPRAA) .

It has been generally recognized that in the twenty- first century the wealth of
nations depends on a nation’s ability to develop and deploy knowledge and ideas
which are known technically as Intellectual Property. The rapid progress in
information technology in recent years, with the spread of internet, has posed
new problems as well as opportunities in the areas of creation, protection, and
exploitation of valuable information of intellectual property.

With this recognition, our former Prime Minister Mr.Junichiro Koizumi in his
policy speech to the Diet in February 2002 declared the following:
Japan “Set as one of our national goals the translation of research activities
and creative endeavours into intellectual properties that are strategically
protected and utilized so that we can enhance the international competitiveness
of Japanese industries”.

Following this, the Basic Law on Intellectual Property was enacted in November
2002. Japan took the significant step toward achieving the goal of “Intellectual
property – based nation”. Intellectual property policy of the Government of
Japan is a comprehensive policy based on the vision for the future of Japan, and
it is also a national policy for enabling Japan to sustain prosperity and gain
international trust in the 21st century, the era of advanced information and
intensified globalization.

Japan is signatory to most of the international treaties concerning intellectual
property rights and to that extent the general schemes for protection and
exercise of intellectual property rights are under the intellectual property
laws of Japan which are similar to those of other signatory countries.

With respect to our relationship with India in this regard, Japan and India
signed a memorandum of understanding on Intellectual Property Rights in Tokyo in
2007. The MoU covers three areas. They are, first, capacity building, second,
human resource development and third, public awareness programs. Each government
pledges to draw up annual action plans to implement the MoU. Ever since, both
the countries have been cooperating each other in the areas specified.

With respect to this background, I am sure the distinguished speakers of this conference
will shed more light on the different aspects of the Intellectual Property
Rights and enlighten us on the importance of its ramifications in the present
world.

In concluding I wish to thank again IPRAA for inviting me to this important
anniversary, and I have no doubt that our relationship between Japan and India,
particularly Tamil Nadu will be further strengthened.